Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi on
Thursday reiterated that it was her job to defend Florida's ban on
gay marriage.
Judges in four counties have struck
down Florida's constitutional amendment limiting marriage to
opposite-sex couples. On Thursday, a federal judge concurred.
(Related: Federal judge strikes down
Florida's gay marriage ban.)
Marriage equality supporters have
mounted a campaign asking Bondi and Republican Governor Rick Scott to
abandon their defense of the ban.
And while nine attorneys general have
decided against defending similar bans, Bondi has insisted that she's
simply doing her job.
“I know reporters want to hear me
answer a question so I'm going to answer it in front of all of you,”
Bondi
said before an audience organized by the Palm Beach County
Republican Party.
“You're hearing things in the paper
about the Defense of Marriage Act. When I was sworn in as attorney
general, the 37th attorney general of the state of Florida, I
took an oath. I took an oath to defend the Constitution of the state
of Florida.”
“Six years ago by over 62 percent of
the vote, the voters of this state put [the ban on same-sex marriage]
that into our Constitution. That is part of the Constitution, which
I am sworn to uphold. I challenged it and I will continue to
challenge it.”
“And just so you know [U.S. District
Judge Robert] Hinkle ruled against [the state ban] today but did
grant a stay.”
“We have a separation of powers in
our state. I am not the judiciary. I am not the person to make that
decision. The courts are. I am a member of the executive branch.
I'm not a lawmaker. I'm not a member of the legislative branch.
This needs to be decided by the United States Supreme Court.”
“We want finality. There are good
people on both sides. We want finality. That's what we need. The
U.S. Supreme Court's going to hear this. They are going to make this
determination. And if you hear that I have criticized people
personally, I have not. I never will. This is me doing my job as
attorney general. And I will continue to do that and if anybody
wants me to moderate my message or stand for less I have a message
for them: I am just getting started.”
Later, in response to a reporter's
question about her Democratic rivals who oppose the ban, Bondi said:
“All I'm going to say is I put my hand on a Bible and I raised my
right hand and swore to uphold the Constitution of the state of
Florida.”